1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
English Standard Version
31 But (A)earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
The Way of Love
13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have (B)prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, (C)so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 (D)If I give away all I have, and (E)if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 (F)Love is patient and (G)kind; love (H)does not envy or boast; it (I)is not arrogant 5 or rude. It (J)does not insist on its own way; it (K)is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it (L)does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but (M)rejoices with the truth. 7 (N)Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, (O)endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For (P)we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but (Q)when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For (R)now we see in a mirror dimly, but (S)then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as (T)I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts deliver up my body [to death] that I may boast
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Christian Standard Bible
31 But desire(A) the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.
Love: The Superior Way
13 If I speak human or angelic tongues[a] but do not have love,(B) I am a noisy gong(C) or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy(D) and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains(E) but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient,(F) love is kind. Love does not envy,(G) is not boastful, is not arrogant,(H) 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking,(I) is not irritable,(J) and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.(K) 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures(L) all things.
8 Love never ends.(M) But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 For now we see only a reflection[c] as in a mirror, but then face to face.(N) Now I know in part, but then I will know fully,(O) as I am fully known.(P) 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope,(Q) and love—but the greatest of these is love.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.